Papy Faty: Previously reported to have had a heart condition, the 28-year-old Burundian midfielder collapsed and died on April 25 while playing a match in Eswatini – formerly Swaziland – for a club known as Malanti Chiefs FC. Lefty Shivambu / Getty Images
Nwankwo Kanu: Not long after helping Nigeria to an Olympic gold medal in the 1996 Atlanta Games, Kanu underwent a medical examination while at Inter Milan, which revealed a heart defect. The then 20-year-old underwent surgery to replace an aortic valve and did not return to the Serie A club until the following year. Laurence Griffiths / Getty Images
Marc-Vivien Foe: The Cameroonian's death on June 26, 2003 during their Fifa Confederations Cup semi-final match against Colombia was said to be heart-related. The autopsy revealed a hereditary condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which is known to increase the risk of sudden death during physical exercise. He was 28.
Khalilou Fadiga: Even before the Senegal international made an appearance for Bolton Wanderers, the then 29-year-old collapsed prior to a match in October 2004. He had to be fitted with a defibrillator due to an irregular heartbeat. However, Fadiga returned to the Bolton squad in early 2005 and played in five games. Seyllou / AFP
Andy Scott: The then Leyton Orient footballer was forced to retire in April 2005, at the age of 32, after being diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a condition similar to what Marc-Vivien Foe had.
Fabrice Muamba: The Zaire-born English footballer suffered a cardiac arrest and collapsed during the first half of an FA Cup quarter-final match between Bolton and Tottenham Hotspur on March 17, 2012. The then 23-year-old received attention on the pitch from medical personnel before being taken to the specialist coronary care unit of the London Chest Hospital. He survived but retired from football subsequently. Michael Regan / Getty Images
Piermario Morosini: The midfielder collapsed in the first half of Livorno's Serie B match at Pescara on April 14, 2012. But the Italian wasn't so lucky as he died at the age of 25 after suffering cardiac arrest. Luciano Pieranunzi / AFP
Gregory Mertens: The Belgian central defender suffered a cardiac arrest during a reserve game for Lokeren against KRC Genk on April 27, 2015. He was just 24 years old. Francois Walschaerts / Getty Images
Cheick Tiote: The former Newcastle United defensive midfielder from Ivory Coast died on 5 June 2017, just 16 days before his 31st birthday, after suffering a cardiac arrest at a training session in Beijing. Serena Taylor / Getty Images
Davide Astori: The 31-year-old Italian defender died on March 4, 2018 in his sleep in a hotel in Udine prior to Fiorentina's match against Udinese. It was proven to be caused by cardiac arrest. Alessandro Bianchi / Reuters
Papy Faty: Previously reported to have had a heart condition, the 28-year-old Burundian midfielder collapsed and died on April 25 while playing a match in Eswatini – formerly Swaziland – for a club known as Malanti Chiefs FC. Lefty Shivambu / Getty Images
Nwankwo Kanu: Not long after helping Nigeria to an Olympic gold medal in the 1996 Atlanta Games, Kanu underwent a medical examination while at Inter Milan, which revealed a heart defect. The then 20-year-old underwent surgery to replace an aortic valve and did not return to the Serie A club until the following year. Laurence Griffiths / Getty Images
Marc-Vivien Foe: The Cameroonian's death on June 26, 2003 during their Fifa Confederations Cup semi-final match against Colombia was said to be heart-related. The autopsy revealed a hereditary condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which is known to increase the risk of sudden death during physical exercise. He was 28.
Khalilou Fadiga: Even before the Senegal international made an appearance for Bolton Wanderers, the then 29-year-old collapsed prior to a match in October 2004. He had to be fitted with a defibrillator due to an irregular heartbeat. However, Fadiga returned to the Bolton squad in early 2005 and played in five games. Seyllou / AFP
Andy Scott: The then Leyton Orient footballer was forced to retire in April 2005, at the age of 32, after being diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a condition similar to what Marc-Vivien Foe had.
Fabrice Muamba: The Zaire-born English footballer suffered a cardiac arrest and collapsed during the first half of an FA Cup quarter-final match between Bolton and Tottenham Hotspur on March 17, 2012. The then 23-year-old received attention on the pitch from medical personnel before being taken to the specialist coronary care unit of the London Chest Hospital. He survived but retired from football subsequently. Michael Regan / Getty Images
Piermario Morosini: The midfielder collapsed in the first half of Livorno's Serie B match at Pescara on April 14, 2012. But the Italian wasn't so lucky as he died at the age of 25 after suffering cardiac arrest. Luciano Pieranunzi / AFP
Gregory Mertens: The Belgian central defender suffered a cardiac arrest during a reserve game for Lokeren against KRC Genk on April 27, 2015. He was just 24 years old. Francois Walschaerts / Getty Images
Cheick Tiote: The former Newcastle United defensive midfielder from Ivory Coast died on 5 June 2017, just 16 days before his 31st birthday, after suffering a cardiac arrest at a training session in Beijing. Serena Taylor / Getty Images
Davide Astori: The 31-year-old Italian defender died on March 4, 2018 in his sleep in a hotel in Udine prior to Fiorentina's match against Udinese. It was proven to be caused by cardiac arrest. Alessandro Bianchi / Reuters
Papy Faty: Previously reported to have had a heart condition, the 28-year-old Burundian midfielder collapsed and died on April 25 while playing a match in Eswatini – formerly Swaziland – for a club known as Malanti Chiefs FC. Lefty Shivambu / Getty Images
